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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — of a plant
  3. branch — a division
  4. craft — boats
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bat — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. march — the month
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com